At Long Last
by poohxebony
Summary: She finally looked back at his direction. And he had finally won. The two have become together as one. Sequel to my songfic, "Their Song Of Lament".


Can miracles happen for everyone? Even for a vampire?

That was a question Akatsuki's been asking himself lately. He didn't question about his status, since he was born into a life of luxury as a noble. And he didn't question about his decisions, for he didn't regret them. He knew they were the right ones. In a sense, Akatsuki had trust in Kaname Kuran's leadership for everyone's future. He was considered as his loyal right-hand man, after all. Staying with his friends at the Kuran mansion didn't bother him while waiting for the next step in their lives at Cross Academy, so that was the least of his worries. But if everything was good from all the turmoil last year…what kept him still questioning?

Akatsuki knew what, no, _who _he was referring to; the real question was if he could ever reach her?

That was the miracle he wanted to figure out. Was it possible for someone to win a long-awaited game of love? Were there such things as miracles? Many people would have given up on this battle a long time ago, which showed their limitations in faith and motivation. But he was much stronger than that. Akatsuki knew how and why he was trapped in this tiresome battle, making him go to measures that he wouldn't normally do for others. And that person was none other than the lovely, but troubled Ruka Souen.

He never had second thoughts about his feelings for his childhood friend, but he still couldn't help but wonder if there was a way to overpass that border. How heavenly it would be if Ruka awoke from her isolated state on her own and turn his way. But he knew better not to wait for that moment happening so soon—if it actually comes true. No, Ruka hasn't fully recovered from Kaname. Her state of helpless romance would never vanish completely, as long as she still harbored a secret place in her heart for Kaname…and a secret hatred for _her,_ Yuuki Kuran herself.

That made Akatsuki shake his head irritably and frown. How long does she intend to continue torturing herself? Until the point whrer it actually kills her? Just the thought of that made him bitterer towards Kaname and fight harder for her. Whether or not it would make him look like a desperate idiot, he didn't care. He didn't even care if Ruka don't want his help. Because in the end, it wasn't out of pity or mutual friendship that made him stay where he is now. It was all about a promise he made to her when they were children: that he would never leave her side, and forget his love for her. And he intended to keep that promise.

So Akatsuki was aware on what he was getting his heart in. Being the supposed 'sexy and wild bad boy', expressing emotions was not his specialty. And he never felt comfortable expressing them to just anyone, not even to his own family and friends. This proved how truly important Ruka was to him. It was just a shame how she was unaware of it. But he decided not to make her clueless any longer. Ruka was a beautiful and strong person; she just needed to be reminded again. As he mentioned before, he hasn't thrown the towel away just yet. He was going to face this challenge to the very end, even if it was the end of days. As long as he was able to be with her, he wouldn't be afraid of facing his final breath.

On that cool and comfortable night, Akatsuki walked to the mansion backyard to think. Whenever he was in his nonchalant manner, lonely walks and fresh air soothed his meditation more. He looked up at the dark sky as he walked, seeing the benevolent display of the glowing crimson moon. Sometimes, he wondered about making a wish to the moon for unknown answers, perhaps…even for a miracle. Humans seemed more focused on the stars than the moon with their traditional wish making. But for vampires, the crimson moon was the symbol of their magical world and existence. The moon provided more guidance and security for the creatures of the night. _'But would the moon provide guidance and security for our hearts?', _Akatsuki wondered. He looked straight ahead towards the water fountain arena, stopping his doubts from there.

But someone else beat him to the place. Once he finally reached the fountain, he immediately picked up the familiar scent. His orange-reddish eyes flinched a little by surprise once he spotted Ruka sitting on the concrete seat by the water, her beautiful golden hair and back facing him. It was unknown whether or not she was aware of Akatsuki's presence, since she didn't move from her spot. She just looked composed as ever, the moonlight shining down on her lovely porcelain skin and perfect figure. The entire display made her look like a lost but gorgeous goddess by the fountain. All the more how she reminded Akatsuki just how magnificent she was. Akatsuki walked towards her, his hands calmly placed in his pockets. Although he wore his laid-back exterior, nervousness erupted from his chest whenever witnessing Ruka's beauty.

Akatsuki walked around the fountain until he was on Ruka's right side. Before he could speak, she interrupted him. "Hi Akatsuki-chan", Ruka said in a calm yet solemn tone, looking at the moon. Kain paused, but snapped out of it. Judging by the sound of her voice, Ruka was obviously thinking about herself or Kaname Kuran. _'Of course she is', _he thought. '_Why would you expect anything different?'. _He mentally sighed and sat down on the fountain next to her.

"Hey there", he replied. "So you came out here to enjoy the night air too?". Ruka nodded, not taking her eyes off the moon. Akatsuki followed her gaze and stared back at the moon, making them both gaze at it together. They remained silent for a short while, then he felt the courage to make conversation. "So, uh, what you been up to all day?", he asked. Ruka turned her head towards him a little.

"Nothing much. Rima and I went shopping in the town yesterday. Then that idiotic cousin of yours wanted to tag along since he was out of his favorite hypnotizing cologne for the ladies", she answered sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I swear, if it wasn't for him being your cousin, I would have knocked him back into 5000 years of our ancestral history. You have no idea how much he was giving us a headache".

Akatsuki chuckled and smirked, crossing his arms. "Yeah well, why I'm not surprised? This is Hanabusa we're talking about here. And who cares if we're cousins; if you wanna get rid of him to not see his face for 5000 years, be my guest". Both chuckled, enjoying the brief moment. When they stopped, they found themselves oddly staring at each other. Realizing that she was almost blushing, Ruka quickly looked back at the sky.

"The moon…is rather nice when it's this color, you know?", she asked. Akatsuki raised his eyebrow at her sudden strange attitude, but looked at the moon too.

"Yeah, I guess. It helps me think about stuff or relax". He paused and then added, "What do you think about when staring at the moon?". Ruka then turned around to look at the flowing water, her eyes showing more solemnness.

"About all kinds of things. Some of them you already know". She trailed her finger across the water. Akatsuki stared at her, not knowing whether to continue talking or remain quiet. But he didn't want her break down in front of him either. He uncrossed his arms and lifted his right hand to reach her shoulder, but Ruka swiftly looked back at him.

"Akatsuki-chan", she spoke. Akatsuki stopped and put his hand down, a little surprised how fast she called his name.

"Um, what's wrong Ruka-chan?", he asked.

Ruka didn't answer right away. Dusky rose eyes met orange-reddish ones for a few more minutes, which seemed like forever. Akatsuki couldn't tell what her eyes were telling him; were they eyes of longing? Or something else? He desperately wanted her to say something, just anything to break the awkward silence. '_Maybe…maybe she's finally realizing my feelings for her…',_he prayed. Unfortunately, Ruka broke eye contact from him shamefully, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes and reopened them. "N-nothing. Never mind", she said softly.

Akatsuki's disappointed eyes watched her get up from her seat, glancing back at him before walking away. "Goodnight". She took her leave out of the garden and into the mansion. Still sitting there, Akatsuki brushed his orange tousled hair with his hand, sighing.

"Oh well. Better luck next time, I guess". He got up and walked back to the mansion also, getting ready for bed since the sunrise was soon to come. "I still got a long way to go".

* * *

After a shower and changing into sweatpants and an unbuttoned shirt, Akatsuki flunk himself down on the bed, facing the ceiling of his majestic room. At times like these, he was relieved to be alone, unlike sharing a room with Aidou back at the Night Dormitory. He really didn't want anyone seeing the expression on his face about what he was feeling. He needed to rethink his decisions on trying to win Ruka's love. Was it worth fighting for her love after all? Did he have any chance with her whatsoever? What if…what if someone else will come in her life and steal her away?

Growing frustrated, Akatsuki sat up and brushed through his hair with his hand. He then got up and headed towards the door. "I could use a glass of water and blood tablets right about now. Maybe it'll clear my head a little", he said to himself. Once he opened the door, he had received another surprise in one night. "R-Ruka-chan?", he asked confusedly.

Right in front of the door, Ruka stood there with her blushing face looking down at the floor. She wore a soft lavender spaghetti-strapped nightgown, and her hair was now a braided ponytail. Her hands were folded in front of her. Looking worried, Akatsuki stepped out of the room and closed the door. "Ruka-chan? What's wrong?", he asked. "You can't sleep?".

Slowly raising her head, her eyes showed a hint of serious confession. "No, it's not like that. I-I just wanted to tell you something", she answered gently. Akatsuki grew more curious. Ruka took a deep breath. "It's just that…a lot has happened to all of us in the past year, hasn't it? I mean, who would have thought the things we've seen were meant to come true? And now that things have changed with Kaname-Sama and…Yuuki-Sama", she paused. "We're kind of lucky to still be alive. In fact, it occurred to me how the two of us haven't had a descent chat in a while, like the way we did back at the fountain earlier". Ruka stopped and looked down at the floor again, blushing some more. Akatsuki remained silent.

"I thought I'll never say this, but in a way...I am a brat. We both know what kind of person I really am, especially during my temperament moments", Ruka continued, smirking. "All my life, I was told as being simply beautiful. Of course as a child, I simply believed that, feeding the words of my family and everyone who admired me. Back then, I didn't know anything about 'inner beauty' because I didn't know how to understand it. And I didn't want to. All my life, I thought that I was the main dish in the bunch, the one that could captivate any boy's eye—human and vampire alike. All this time, I thought I could captivate Kaname-Sama's eye…but now I see that will never happen, because our lovely princess beat me to the punch", she finished sarcastically. Akatsuki closed his eyes and sighed at the mention of Kaname and Yuuki. He wasn't in the mood to hear about them when he was tired as it was. Ruka continued some more.

"I know, I know. I really need to grow up and move on, right? You and everyone else don't need to say it; I know what you're thinking. Even my own mind tells me the same thing all the time, but I never listen. Honestly, you would expect me to turn out much stronger than this after a whole year, huh? Well….it's not like I haven't tried doing so. I shouldn't feel any more hatred or grudge towards Yuuki, but even that'll take time whenever I see those two. I shouldn't hold on to such foolish hopes for Kaname to change his mind, because I know that'll never happen. But more importantly….I should be moving on towards a new future…and not forget those who remained by my side during my hard times".

Ruka made a sad grin. "It's funny….as I kept running after Kaname-Sama, I felt as if I was heading in the wrong direction for some reason". That caught Akatsuki's attention more, remembering how he viewed Ruka looking at the 'left' direction instead of the 'right', which was his friendship. "But I chose to ignore that uneasy feeling because I was so determined to catch Kaname-Sama, I thought I could pass through any obstacles. Guess even a vampire have to learn the hard way when crossing a road to love; it's a road that never steadies, and you will bump and tumble along the way. But you know something? For the past few days, I've been thinking about….the past when we were kids. And I don't mean meeting Kaname-Sama for the first time, but…flashing back to how _we _used to be, us against the world". Akatsuki's eyes soften more, recalling their childhood memories.

"Sometimes, I wish we were kids again", Ruka stated. "I wish we could go back to the time when emotions didn't mean a damn thing to us, because we just cared about having fun. I wish we could go back to the time when we built sand castles, running freely in the playgrounds, even torture Hanabusa some more—one of my favorite memories by the way. But more importantly, I wish we could go back to the past….so I could relive the moment when you first came into my life".

Akatsuki's eyes widened, feeling a sudden warmth inside his chest. "Ruka-chan….", he trailed.

Ruka lifted her finger, silencing him. "Please Akatsuki-chan. This isn't easy for me as it is, but…I think I understand what's been missing this whole time". She paused and took a deep breath. "I…I…I think I love you…Akatsuki-chan", her shaken voice confessed. "I—I'm finally seeing this now. When I looked back at our childhood, it helped me remember how you were always there with me. Despite being with others, your friendship was different from theirs. You was my very first friend, after all. Before we met, I didn't know how it felt to be so… protected. That's how I felt when we were together. Even now, your protectiveness never changes. But as for me….I never was able to return the favor". Ruka stopped herself, trying to fight back the streaming tears. She started clenching her tiny fists.

"And to think I deserve a friend like you!", she said louder. "I know I'm a spiteful, ungrateful little bitch, but it's just unfair how you continue to be a wonderful friend to me! And I can't even do the same for you! Ever since I looked away from you for Kaname, I never thought about looking back and seeing how you felt. But you never complained or changed our friendship for the slightest bit! And I actually took advantage of that and no longer looked at our friendship the same way! All this time, I was turning a blind eye and not realizing that…my direction had always been the 'right' one. Which is you, Akatsuki-chan". She quickly wiped a tear that fell on her cheek. Akatsuki didn't say a word but stared at her. Ruka lowered her head.

"I know you don't feel the same way for me, after everything I've put you through. But I will never forget our bond, Akatsuki. Because of you, I did have someone watch my back whenever I fell. I had someone who pushed aside his own troubles for mine. I just want you to be happy with someone that could do better than I ever could, someone who truly appreciates and loves you entirely. I am unworthy of your attention. You really deserve to be happy. But no matter what happens in the future…I just want to let you know that I'll always be happy for you. And if you need anything, I'll try to be the strong friend that I could be. So don't worry about me anymore. I'm a big girl, and I need to take care of myself". Ruka stared into his eyes with a relief smile, her own eyes twinkling genuinely. "Thank you for everything, Akatsuki".

That's when he broke loose.

Before Ruka turned her heel and walked away for good, Akatsuki yanked her gently by the arm, pulling her in his strong arms and warm muscular body. Ruka let out a surprise gasp, her eyes widening from his unexpected reaction. Before she knew it, Akatsuki lifted her chin with his fingers and made his lips touch hers. The sudden spark between the two vampires blossomed, his yearning arms wrapping around her petite soft body. Her arms found their way around his neck, not intending to let go. The long awaited kiss lasted for a few more minutes, but for them, time could stop forever. Akatsuki couldn't believe what was happening; did this mean that his wish finally came true? Was this really a dream or simply….a miracle? If the crimson moon heard his deepest wish…then he could actually thank the wonders of the planet and stars above them.

Finally breaking the kiss, Akatsuki rubbed Ruka's cheek, smiling into her reviving eyes. "You never changed yourself, baka", he smirked. "Never, ever, _ever _am I going anywhere. And for now on, don't you ever talk about yourself in such a way. Because you know damn well that ain't true. You _are _strong, beautiful, and courageous, Ruka Souen. I know you've always loved and appreciated me. I'm just so happy that you've grown out of your shell and make me the happiest person alive now. See how strong you've become? And here all this time, I thought this game of love would never end, yet alone your cat-and-mouse game with Kuran".

Ruka stared in disbelief, feeling more tears streaming down. Only this time, they were tears of new found joy. She pulled him in another tight hug. "Oh Akatsuki…", she trailed. She looked up and smiled at him. Akatsuki smiled back and kissed her tender lips. The two remained there in their embracing position by the door a bit longer, then opened it and both went inside. In the end, victory triumphed. It was all a matter of time, and it finally paid off. Now Akatsuki had Ruka completely, and she finally opened her eyes and seen who's been by her side all along. She finally looked back at his direction, and he had finally won. The two became together as one.

At long last.


End file.
